People In Bayou La Batre "Spillionaires?"

An article in a British newspaper about the oil spill is creating controversy in Bayou La Batre.

It says payouts from BP have turned some in the Bayou into what it calls "Spillionaires."

And folks in the Bayou are not happy.

The publication the "Daily Mail" called its article, "The Spillionaires: Shrimp boat owners in Forrest Gump town make a fortune from BP payouts."

One sentence said, "While many British pensioners have seen the value of their pension funds fall because of the extraordinary decline of one of Britain's biggest companies, boat owners in the coastal hamlet have struck it rich."

Shaw Robertson is a commercial shrimper in Bayou La Batre.

Robertson said, "This is outrageous. This is madness. I don't even know what to say about this. I don't know any 'Spillionaires.' We're all suffering out here."
Pearl Bosarge works at the Bayou Bait Shop.

She said, "Its insane. I mean, why do they even say that about us?"

Roy Barbour is retired and lives in Bayou La Batre.

He said, "I don't know any millionaires. The ones who are working are making good money. The ones who are laid off, they aren't making nothing."

Robertson said, "The money that we made has absolutely not even come close to what we could have been making. This is not the money we could have had everyday."

And as for calling Bayou La Batre "Forrest Gump" town, Bosarge said, "Forrest Gump? The movie wasn't even made here."

View Spillionaires Article at dailymail